Loose ends may delay debut of Riverwalk in Glendale

August 27, 2012

(Raul Roa/Staff…)

The first phase of a revitalization project that will include amenities for bicyclists, pedestrians and horses along the Glendale portion of the Los Angeles River may open about a month later than originally planned, officials said.

Construction on the first phase of the Glendale Narrows Riverwalk had been expected to wrap up in September, but that date will likely be pushed back to October as city officials work to tie up some loose ends with other government stakeholders in the $1.7-million project, said Emil Tatevosian, a Glendale parks administrator.

Discussed for the past decade, the Glendale Narrows Riverwalk has been hit by roadblocks caused by a state funding freeze and other issues. Now Glendale is in talks with the city of Los Angeles and California Department of Transportation — among the agencies that share jurisdiction along the river — over some aspects of the project, such as security cameras.

The cameras are being installed along the river, but transportation officials must still sign off on equipment planned near the Golden State (5) Freeway overpass along the river.

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“These are all the little details that fall into the project’s schedule,” Tatevosian said.

The recent theft of construction materials also set the project back, Councilwoman Laura Friedman said last week.

Despite the delay for the first phase, which begins at Bette Davis Park on Paula Avenue, the second phase is already moving forward. That project includes a $475,000 trail bridge over a storm drain near DreamWorks Animation at Flower Street. The 150-foot bridge will continue the bike and pedestrian pathway to the Verdugo Wash.

The second phase does not have a planned completion date, nor does a third phase, which includes plans for a larger bridge leading to Griffith Park.

But, an art project featuring a seating area and sandblasted images on the wing walls of historic floodgates is nearly complete.

“This is going to be an interesting kind of project for us,” Tatevosian said. “It’s so different than anything we’ve done in the past."